Collapsible core



June 3, 1941-. HQ HAYES coLLAPsILs CORE Filed 00u15, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet `1 INVENTR; HAL HA V55 hf; H0' ATTORNEYS June 3, 1941. H. HAYES coLLAPsIBLE com:

Filed Oct. 15, 1937 3 Sheets-Shea?l 2 INVENTOR. l HAL H4 V55 By /MZX ud ATTORNEYS.

June 3, H HAYES 244,107

coLLAPsIiLE CORE Filed Oct. 145,' 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 /7 INVENToR.

HAZ HA V55' A T'ToRNEYs.

Patented June 3, 1941 COLLAPSIBLE CORE Hal Hayes, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Hayes Econocrete Corporation of America, Reno, Nev.,

a corporation of Nevada Application October 15, 1937, Serial No. 169,098

(Cl. ,t-128)` 1 Claim.

This invention relates to building construction, in which walls are made of plastic material, and particularly pertains to a collapsible core.

In the type of building structure made by the use of composite forms and collapsible cores, as disclosed in my Patent No. 2,055,977, entitled Concrete form, and issued t-o me September 29, 1936, itis desirable to provide a collapsible core around which concrete is poured while confined between cuter frame elements, and which core may be drawn directly away from the wall surface it has formed, and may thereafter be withdrawn from the set wall. It is the principal object of the present invention therefore to provide a core structure for casting concrete walls, said core structure having outer form plates designed to form a cavity or hollow wall space of a desired configuration within a wall, and which core element may be manipulated to be contracted and extracted from the wall without mutilating the wall surface formed and while contracting the sectional dimensions of the collapsed core until it may be easily withdrawn from place.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a plurality of longitudinally extending core sections which are articulately connected along longitudinal joint lines andpwithin which core structure mechanical means are provided to be engaged in simultaneously lifting and collapsing the core so that it may be drawn laterally from contact with the wall surface it has formed, and so that it may be thereafter elevated from the wall or raised to a new position where another height of wall may be poured.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a View in vertical section and ele- Vation showing a typical wall section having outside forms and the collapsible core with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 2 is a View in central vertical section as seen on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the core positioned within the wall and indicating by dotted lines its collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section as seen on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and discloses the core positioned Within the wall in its expanded position.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but showing the core in a collapsed position ready to be withdrawn.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in plan drawn on a relatively reduced scale and showing the upper core spacing plates.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View showing a portion of the hinge structure by which the contiguous edges ofthe various hinge plates of the core are connected.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Ill indicates a concrete footing which may form a part of a typical wall section with which the present invention is concerned. Secured to this footing are base angles IIA and suitably mounted upon the base angles II are outer wall form panels I2. These panels are held in spaced relation to each other at their upper ends by cross braces I3 detachably secured in position by set screws I4. The panels l2 are thus horizontally spaced from each other a width previously determined as the thickness of a wall to be formed and between which concrete is poured to form the wall. In present practice the height of the form panels I2 is substantially the height of one story of a building, and in the event additional wall height is desired the wall forms may be moved upwardly progressively as soon as the lower wall structure has properly set, and so that a higher section of wall may be poured which will combine with the lower section in a substantially monolithic structure. It is desirable for the purposes of sound insulation and insulation from heat and cold that the wall shall be hollow, and for that purpose vertically extending spaces I5 are cast in the wall. This also makes it possible for a wall of considerable strength to be made with great economy of material. The horizontal sectional formation is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings where it will be seen that opposite parallel wall slabs I6 and Il are cast and are cross-connected by sections i8 which are cast therewith and thus form vertically extending air spaces I9. These spaces are substantially rectangular in shape, but for providing strength in the wall and convenience in removing core elements 20 the air spaces l are preferably formed with opposite flat side wall surfaces 2 I, inclined corner surfaces 22, and inwardly converging end faces 23. The converging end faces cause the central portion of the tie sections I8 of the wall to be relatively thick and the inclined portions 22 form a llet at the corners of the air spaces which strengthen the corners and reduce the tendency for the wall to crack. The` particular sectional shape ofthe air spaces I9 also have their advantages which will be hereinafter set forth. `The side faces 2| 4of the'wall cavities are formed by side plates 24 of the core 20. The length of the side faces 2| and the side plates 24 are of the same dimensions. The corner faces 22 and the converging faces 23 are formed by complementary end plates 25 which are a part of the core 26. These complementary end faces have outer short sections 26 whichl vertical pins 29 pass through hinge loops 33, as Y shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Associated with the pin 29 of the hinge are shackles 3|. These shackles extend horizontally as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and are arranged at intervals throughout the height of the form. The inner ends of the shackles are fitted with pins 32. These pins receive link bars 33. The link bars 33 are preferably formed of material of angle-shape to give them strength and stiffness. The inner ends of the link bars 33 are pivoted by pins'34 to a vertical draw bar 35. This draw bar is of a length substantially the width of the core and when the core is in its expanded position the lower end of the draw bar is substantially in the plane of the bottom of the form, and would rest upon the surface supporting the core. When the core is lifted by the draw bar the draw bar will move longitudinally to pull the sides of the core inwardly. The side plates 24 of the core are made stiff by transverse angle Abars 36 which are riveted to the side plates 24 on their inner faces. The lowermost angle bars 36 carry guide ribs 3l. An intermediate set of angle bars 36 engage guide fins 38 carried upon the draw bar 35 and space the opposing plates 24 and hold the same so that they will not collapse. An upper set of angle bars 36 is disposed upon the opposite sides of a wedge plate 39 which when moved to its This member is carried by the draw bar 35.

Mounted at intervals along the length of the draw bar 35 are transverse angle members 46 which are of a length equal to the collapsed distance between the form plates 24 and thus limit the collapsing movement of the form. The members 38 and 33 are formed with openings 4l through them to accommodate the link bars 33 and permit them to swing as they perform their functions. The upper ends of the forms Vare covered so that the material being poured into the forms will not ll inside of the form and prevent their collapse. These cover members are detachable and as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings comprise acover plate 42 which is fitted with spacing lugs 43 extending downwardly between the outer plates l2 of the wall form and the side plates 24 of the core form. These cover plates 43 thus rest over and close the upper opened ends of the forms. They are provided lowermost position will force its way betweenwith perforations 44 which receive pins 45 of,V

spacing bars 46. space between contiguous forms and hold the contiguous forms so that the tie sections I8 of the wall will be formed when the wall is poured.

In operation of the present invention the core,

The spacing bars 46 span the draw bar 35 is forced downwardly spreader ribs 41 which are carried by the draw bar will be forced downwardly along the rounded surfaces of the member 37 to spread the lower ends of the core plates 24. At the same time the member 39 will be forced downwardly between the adjacent ribs 36 to spread the side plates 24 of the core and the members 38 will move between a set of ribs 36 to hold the plates in a spread condition. While the draw bar is thus being forced downwardly it will force outwardly upon the link bars 33 which will act against the members 3| to force the inner ends of the end plates 25 outwardly and thus create a thrust along said members which will move the hinged joints at the ends of the plates 24 outwardly to their expanded positions as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. After a series of cores have thus been set and expanded they are covered by the cover plates 42 which plates t into the upper opened mouth of the core and are held in spaced relation to each other by the tie bars 46. The concrete is then poured between the form plates I2 and the side walls 24 and 25 of the core. When poured a wall will be formed having the horizontal section shown `in Fig. 3 and a vertical section shown in Fig. 1. After the concrete is set the cores vmay be removed by unfastening the tie bars 46 to permit removal of the cover plates 42, after which the upper end of the draw bar 35 is engaged by a hoisting device which will act initially to pull the draw bar upwardly while exercising a tension strain on the link bars 33. 'I'he link bars 33 will thus pull inwardly on the members 3l and cause the inner ends of the end sections 25 to be drawn inwardly and away from the end faces 22 and 23 of the cavity I9. Attention is directed to the fact that as the end plates 25 swing upon the hinges 28 they will swing inwardly and away from the wall faces 22 and 23 without rubbing therealong which would tend to abraid the wall surfaces. At the same time the members 25 will pull the side plates 24 inwardly in a straight motion at right angles to the wall faces 2i. It will be evident by examination of Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings that the core 20 will move directly away from the wall surface, which it has formed, and that since it collapses at all points during this operation, a smooth Wall surface will be obtained. Attention is also directed to the fact that at the instant an upward pull is imposed upon the draw bar 35 the core will begin to contract and that before any appreciable upward movement of the form surface of the core has beenv produced, the core will have contracted sufficiently to be drawn away entirely from the surface. This makes it possible to withdraw the cores by the application of a relatively small force. Since substantially all of the resistance to the collapse of the core is produced by suction between the wall surface and the form surface, which is contrary to the usual y condition where the core remains unexpanded and it is necessary to pull it out of the cavity while the entire surface of the core is in frictional engagement with the wall surface of the cavity. When the core has been collapsed it Wil eventually contract until the side plates 24 are in contact with the members 40 carried upon the draw bar 35. This' will limit the collapsing action so that the collapsed core may then be handled as a rigid unit.

It will thus be seen that the core structure here disclosed is formed with a few parts connected in a manner to permit the core to be readily expanded or collapsed, and that the collapsing action is produced simultaneously with the movement to extract the core from the cavity formed and in a manner to separate the formed surface of the core from the cast surface of the wall by substantially direct lateral pull, thus insuring that the cores may be easily removed without exerting any appreciable force, and that the wall surface obtained by the use of the core will be smooth and without rupture due to the peculiar collapsing action of the core, and also for the reason that the core may be allowed to more thoroughly set before it is removed from position.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes might be made in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An adjustable core for hollow wall construction comprising a pair of substantially at side panels, pairs of end panels hinged to each other along a median line of the form and hinged along their other edges to the side panels, whereby when the median hinges are drawn toward each other the core will be collapsed and the side panels will be drawn toward each other,

a vertical lifting and operating bar extending downwardly through the core in the plane of said median line, toggle elements pivotally secured to the lifting bar at points in its length and secured at their outer ends to their median hinged portions, the length of said toggle elements being such as to expand the core to its operative position and to act to draw the median hinges inwardly and contract the core when the operating bar is drawn upwardly, transversely eX- tending brace members carried on the inner faces of the panels and spreading members carried upon the lifting bar to iit between said brace members when the bar is in its lowermost position and when the toggle members are in their spreading positions, whereby the side panels will be braced and held `apart during the placement of concrete around the expanded core, said brace members and spreading members having a wedg ing action with relation to each other to force the panels to their spread positions and to provide a temporary stop to prevent them from collapsing under the pressure applied against the panels, the lifting bar acting when drawn upwardly to withdraw the spreading members from the reinforcing means and to pull upon the toggle members to cause the collapse oi the core.

HAL HAYES. 

